By: Olivia Walters
Even with legalization, doubts still linger about the seriousness of cannabis as a professional career.
Those who stigmatize cannabis may have judgy ideas about female smokers who “just want to get high.”
But businesswomen are making inroads in the cannabis industry and riding high at the same time.
You might see them on Instagram rolling joints, photographing different strains, or endorsing their favorite products.
At first glance, cannabis influencer might be the first term that pops into your head. They’re taking pictures with weed to get more followers on Instagram, right?
But the women who agreed to participate in a profile for Miss Marijuana used other terms to describe their brands.
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They’re digital marketers, social workers, yoga instructors, and accessory designers working to destigmatize cannabis.
These “cannapreneurs” aren’t posting for a ton of likes or free smoke gear from affiliate companies; they’re girl bosses looking to cannabis to lower stress, to improve nutrition, and to feel fabulous.
If you want to get into the cannabis industry and need inspiration, learn how these four women are getting high to get by in the business world.
Cannabess AKA Bess Byers
The “cannapreneur” who takes the top of this list is Bess Byers behind the Seattle based marketing company Blaise Creative.
When asked if she calls herself an influencer, Byers took a breath over the phone before explaining how much she dislikes the association.
Although she does participate in sponsored Instagram posts with different brands, she’s an expert in cannabis digital marketing and creative direction.
On Instagram, Byers calls herself Cannabess. She’s developed an organic following of almost 100,000 followers through a mixture of socially-aware, fashionable, and outdoorsy content focused entirely on cannabis.
Sorting through her posts, you learn that Cannabess didn’t plan on ending up in cannabis after graduating from Washington State University in 2009 with a degree in Public Relations.
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But since then, Cannabess has literally blazed a path for herself as one of the leading female entrepreneurs in the industry.
She photographs cannabis farms and strains in photoshoots that tell beautiful stories. Clients produce the bud while Cannabess uses her eye for design to sell their products.
What’s her secret for success? According to Cannabess, just be yourself. Being your own boss has its perks especially when you’re doing what you already love to do and making a living from it.
Her interests in hiking, politics, and, of course, weed have helped her build a business around authenticity and relatability.
“We are slowly breaking down the ‘stoner’ stereotype and normalizing consumption,” she shared on Instagram.
Before we ended our phone conversation, Cannabess extended an invitation to a future smoke sesh and for that, she’s a true professional.
Alongside Trauma AKA Jessi del Rosso
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQx8CYAJGJ/
In Ontario, Jessi del Rosso creates safe spaces to educate people about trauma and its effects on the nervous system. She founded Alongside Trauma to assist childhood abuse survivors and people living with PTSD.
Another ally to her business is cannabis.
Having used cannabis throughout her life, del Rosso decided to combine her social work expertise with a Ganja Yoga certification so people could feel less scared about their trauma.
And it turns out that communal blazing triggers a sense of safety among women. The effect of smoking before yoga is an increased focus on breathing.
We all need to slow down but for trauma victims, feeling powerless is a common part of the healing process.
“I share the skills and knowledge needed to begin walking alongside your trauma, instead of against it,” says del Rosso.
Because of the Coronavirus, she’s turned to virtual therapy and yoga. Her “trauma-informed” guidance breaks down cannabis stigma by enabling people to slow down and understand trauma symptoms from stress, depression, and grief.
As she launched her business, del Rosso struggled with the fear of how people would perceive her brand and how to create a cannabis-friendly space in a region full of Mennonite traditionalists.
But a year and a half later, del Rosso has proven herself as a cannabis healer and an educator. Follow her to learn how to cope with trauma here.
The Ganja Goddess AKA Madison Steele
“Do you and keep doing that,” is Madison Steele’s advice for women starting out in cannabis. She’s a holistic nutritionist and Ganja Yoga teacher with special powers in the San Francisco Bay area.
Her pseudonym is the Ganja Goddess and her Instagram welcomes you inside a magical portal to “the worlds of wellness and cannabis through the eyes of an everyday goddess.”
The Ganja Goddess has certifications from nutrition programs at two California universities which make her an expert consultant to her clients.
She incorporates cannabis and Eastern perspectives to focus on natural healing from the Earth.
In an email exchange, the Ganja Goddess shared how she never thought of herself as an influencer.
Her personal history with cannabis inspired her to educate others so she prefers to be called a healer. She also runs a side business on Etsy where she sells essential oils and resin art.
Self-love is a crucial part of her daily life. Sleep, yoga, mineral salt baths, and high-quality cannabis give the Ganja Goddess the energy she needs to create and to give.
She advises you to explore your unique gifts and to resist falling under the spell of other people’s negative opinions about the cannabis industry. “I have opened many closed minds to this plant and have changed many people’s minds,” she wrote.
Dank Dani AKA Dani
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBb0bQTBGAd/
Dani Tamonte is a California based “cannapreneur” smoking her way to success.
She films herself trying different dab products with sparkly filters and chill tunes in the background.
If you’re wondering what “dabbing” is, Dani is the lady to follow. The alternative method of inhaling marijuana requires a special glass bong to light butane hash oil, or “dabs.”
Essential accessories called dabbers are used to scoop the oil into the heated bowl.
On Instagram, she goes by Dank Dani but we’ll officially crown her as the Queen of Dabs.
As a former dispensary manager, she posts informative content about the brands she loves to smoke. Now she’s working to fill orders for her new dabber business.
Dank Dani sells custom dabbers, roach clips, bowl picks, and hemp wick-wrapped candles on her Instagram account.
The dabber designer customizes orders according to color and material. You can choose two types of stones and colors as well as a charm for your personalized dabber.
Order one dabber for $15 or take two for $25. “It’s all about the good vibes,” says Dani.
Her social media presence is royally real. If you’re interested in turning cannabis into a side hustle, using your design skills like Dank Dani is one way you can sell cannabis accessories online. Check out her inventory here.
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Olivia Walters is a writer who focuses on cannabis culture and lifestyle.